Well it’s been quite a few days here in the UK: there are more questions than answers, and uncertainty – that enemy of business confidence and growth – seems set to be with us for at least the next few months, if not years.

So what should business do for the best?

I had two experiences last week that showed, simply yet dramatically, where business’ focus should be over the foreseeable future: on engaging and empowering people to deliver memorable Customer Experiences.

Understanding how, and why, customers, and their attitudes, aspirations and behaviours will change – even in the next five years – is obviously essential to business. That’s why I focused on the future in two presentations I recently gave at an international conference in Zagreb.

If the future customer will define future business, then it’s essential to define the future customer. Grab a cup of coffee, then read on…

Since Corbyn’s victory, he has moved quickly to put his values into practice: putting together a diverse shadow cabinet and repeatedly talking about the “new politics” where debate is welcomed and the Leader has no divine right to be right.

The challenges he will face – and I make no comment on his politics – will, however be formidable. The harsh reality of Leadership is that you can’t only have opinions on the issues you choose; and, if your Leadership style is based on consensus, you can’t choose to have a consensus when it suits you and be right when it doesn’t.

This month’s Customer Experience Expert newsletter is inspired (if that is the right word) by the Labour Party leadership contest. We’ve seen a number of fascinating elections in recent months, and this one is no exception. But what, if anything, does this leadership election teach us about the nature of leadership?

As usual, the newsletter aims to provide a combination of useful or thought-provoking material, plus some light relief, presented as a quick read.

With People 1st also highlighting the extent to which a lack of soft skills is holding back career development (see graphic) and – AND – the fact that a 1% increase in productivity could drive an additional £1.43 billion revenue to the industry, it seems blindingly obvious that there is a MASSIVE opportunity here.

In previous posts I’ve talked about the fundamentals of Leadership; today I want to talk about the fundamentals of building projects or organisations that deliver great experiences – for Customers, Stakeholders and Teams, and also for Leaders: why shouldn’t everyone have Fun?

As so much of the tone of the campaign so far has been one of frustrated attempts to get to the detail of the parties’ proposals, I thought I’d make this a “To Don’t” list – for the Party Leaders, and indeed, for any Leader: